The Iron Sand exploded.
Like a splash of dirty water, it poured down in front of the Third Kazekage.
Yubi's Blood Release Ninjutsu was astonishingly powerful; despite being a liquid, it possessed the destructive force to pierce through iron metal!
Even the Kazekage's expression changed slightly.
"It must have incorporated some changes in Ninjutsu... I noticed just now that the blood attacking the Kazekage seemed to turn from liquid to solid... thereby increasing its destructive power and completing the transformation in an instant... Is it because of Chakra? Or is it part of the innate ability of this Bloodline Limit?" Off-field, a Sunagakure Jonin exclaimed. Despite the volume of the blood increasing, its speed remained remarkably fast.
Hearing this, Rasa, standing beside the Jonin, stroked his chin and fell into thought.
Yubi's blood was his Chakra.
Rasa knew more or less about Yubi, though not as clearly as the other high-ranking officials.
Because Iwagakure had recently withdrawn their troops... the border had temporarily stabilized. Therefore... he, who had been stationed on the front lines against Iwagakure, was able to return to the Village for a short rest.
He happened to run into Yubi's trio returning to the Village. Hearing that the Kazekage was going to personally test the level of Yubi's Bloodline Limit, he came over to watch.
"Arai... This little guy Yubi could only manipulate blood before, right? He couldn't incorporate changes into his abilities... Do you know anything about this Blood Release Ninjutsu of his?" the Jonin in front asked Arai, who looked equally shocked nearby.
"Changing from liquid to solid, plus compression and enhanced speed—this doesn't look like a newly awakened Bloodline Limit," someone added.
"Water nature Chakra... and Earth nature... Earth nature Chakra is used to shape the blood and increase its hardness..."
"That acceleration shouldn't be Wind nature Chakra; it's likely just a way of driving the Chakra..."
Other Sunagakure Ninjas who noticed some clues were also whispering among themselves.
But more people were captivated by the battle on the field, unable to look away.
"In such a short time, Yubi has actually developed a Bloodline Limit Ninjutsu... This far exceeds our expectations," Chiyo said with a smile.
"I'm already somewhat used to it... After all, this kid has already created his own Ninjutsu before. His understanding and mastery of Ninjutsu are quite high for his age. This ability of his is innate; he will gradually become familiar with and apply it as he grows. It's not surprising that he can explore new methods by combining changes and driving them based on Chakra natures and Hand Seals."
Ebizo, standing beside her, spoke up, "It's certain that if he puts his mind to it, he could at least master Water Release... The Water nature of his Blood Release is quite evident, though it's unclear how effective it would be on its own. His hidden Chakra natures are likely integrated through his Bloodline Limit ability... If he were to use a single type of Ninjutsu, he's still young and lacks proper guidance and training, so he might not be able to convert it. Even if he could, it would take some time to refine."
On the other side, Arai was speechless in the face of his friend's inquiry.
Because during their six months in the Land of Grass, he only knew that Yubi's manipulation of his Bloodline Limit was very flexible.
It was just simple manipulation of blood... with some changes, but not many.
Not yet to the point of forming a Ninjutsu.
But now, after witnessing it with his own eyes, Arai instinctively glanced at Sasori.
Clearly... he didn't understand the true speed of Yubi's progress.
Sasori, on the other hand, looked calm.
"..."
Arai fell silent.
These two little guys... were deliberately keeping it from him... On the field, the Third Kazekage finally made his move.
His ability shifted from defense to active offense.
A large amount of Iron Sand transformed into sharp, cone-shaped objects, sweeping toward Yubi's position like a deluge.
In a near blink of an eye, the dense cones swept down.
Leaving Yubi with almost no room to dodge.
More lethally, even if some of the cones missed, they would instantly turn into black 'quicksand,' covering the entire ground.
Then, countless spikes shot up from the ground, crisscrossing.
Forming a massive iron cage... the cage was filled with thorny spears.
Yubi's small figure leaped frantically inside the cage, dodging the incoming sharp objects one by one.
Even under such a dense offensive, he still tried to drive the blood to shoot at the Third Kazekage.
But soon... unable to dodge in time, his clothes were pierced by an iron spear, leaving him suspended in mid-air.
Meanwhile, the Kazekage, who was still opposite him, used an 'Iron Sand' Body Flicker to eerily appear behind him.
He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Hehe... As expected of the Kazekage, truly formidable."
Yubi knew he had lost; he smiled slightly without any frustration, his tone composed.
It was one thing for the Third Kazekage not to act, but once he did, his attacks were like a tidal wave.
It was almost impossible to breathe.
Whether it was the range, power, speed of transformation, or flexibility of the Bloodline Limit... it was all terrifying.
This was a Kage-level powerhouse!
The Third Kazekage hadn't even gotten serious... he was just playing with him.
It was hard to imagine what kind of prowess the Third Kazekage would display on a large-scale battlefield based on strength alone.
To what extent his Bloodline Limit would be utilized.
"Exam passed."
The Third Kazekage deactivated his ability and landed with Yubi, speaking with satisfaction.
As a Genin only ten years old, being able to make him take action was already a remarkable feat.
The referee on the side loudly announced the result at the appropriate time.
Applause broke out... Seeing this, the surrounding people began to applaud one after another.
Cheering for Yubi.
Although Yubi was immediately overwhelmed and quickly defeated once the Kazekage made his move.
But being able to reach this level had already made many high-ranking officials overjoyed.
Losing to the Kazekage... wasn't that to be expected? If he had won, that would have been truly bizarre.
Honestly... this battle has already exceeded the level of an ordinary Chunin Exam... Rasa's gaze focused on Yubi, who was in front of the Kazekage.
He watched as the Kazekage placed his hand on Yubi's shoulder, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
He turned and left.
Today's Yubi was just like his past self.
Rasa deeply respected the Third Kazekage; his path as a Ninja began by looking up to this man... As a fellow Bloodline Limit Ninja, his abilities were similar to the Third's, and he had also been personally 'trained' by the Third Kazekage.
The Third Kazekage was his teacher.
He believed in the Third's philosophy and way of thinking... both regarding the Village and the battlefield.
He was also a loyal supporter of the Third Kazekage.
And a junior he had once sent to the border had actually become the focus of the Village in just two short years.
This was something Rasa had never expected.
In terms of military contributions among the Village's younger generation, he was the undisputed number one.
But looking at Yubi's momentum... as long as no accidents occurred or he didn't meet an early end, his future achievements might not be lower than his own.
"However..."
Rasa, walking away, furrowed his brows.
Based on his understanding and observation of Yubi... this optimistic kid, even if he grew up one day, might not necessarily inherit the Third's will.
Yubi was a different 'kind of person' compared to him and the Third.
It was certainly a great thing for the Hidden Sand Village to have such a genius.
Rasa agreed with this.
He was now considered a member of the Village's upper echelon, though his status and power weren't that great yet, but he felt... Yubi could become an important figure for the Village's future.
But he wasn't worth being overly invested with high expectations.